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STRUGGLES FOR RECOGNITION: THE WOMEN ARTISTIC DIRECTORS OF IRELAND’S ABBEY THEATRE DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment o f the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Karin Ann Maresh, M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 2002 Dissertation Committee: Approved by Dr. Joy Harriman Reilly, Adviser Dr. Thomas Postlewait Mlhnk&t Adviser Dr. Esther Beth Sullivan Theatre Graduate Pr Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number 3039501 Copyright 2002 by Maresh, Karin Ann All rights reserved. __UMI ___ __® UMI Microform 3039501 Copyright 2002 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Copyright by Karin Ann Maresh 2002 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the lives and careers of four important women of the Irish theatre, Lady Augusta Gregory (1852-1932), Ria Mooney (1903-1973), Lelia Doolan (1934- ), and Garry Hynes (1947- ). Each fulfilled the responsibilities of artistic director at the Abbey Theatre at different points in the twentieth century. Gregory co­ founded and helped run the theatre for thirty-two years, Mooney served as primary producer from 1948 tol963, Doolan served as artistic director from 1971 tol973, and Hynes held the same position from 1991 to 1993. None of the existing histories of the Abbey Theatre gives these women their due credit. Thus, while Irish women playwrights have received considerable attention, Irish women directors are still struggling for recognition. This study also compares the careers of Gregory, Mooney, Doolan, and Hynes with those of their male counterparts in the theatre. In Ireland the legal system contributed to the majority of women being unemployed and underpaid in the conservative social, political, and economic climates of twentieth-century Ireland. Yet the Abbey Theatre hired more women into authoritative positions than any other major theatre in Dublin or London. Despite encountering resistance to their leadership, the four women in ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. this study persevered and negotiated careers as directors in a theatre and a country dominated by male influence. Each of the women took a different path. Gregory became active in Irish theatre in her late forties, after her husband died. Mooney and Doolan were, and Hynes has been, committed to the theatre from their teens. Despite significant differences in their careers these women have a common bond: they have been tenacious, innovative, and dedicated to their craft. Not all o f their productions and policies for the Abbey were successful, and two were forced to compromise their artistic goals. However, all four pushed against the traditions of Ireland’s National Theatre, helping it survive economic difficulties and changes in artistic policy to evolve into what it is today, a national treasure. Their stories are proof that women have played a key role in the development of the Abbey Theatre. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dedicated to Lady Augusta Gregory, Ria Mooney, Lelia Doolan, and Garry Hynes for their inspiring work. iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank the many educators and mentors who have guided me to this point, especially my adviser, Dr. Joy Reilly. I will be forever grateful for her insight and the emotional support she provided for me during this process. Thanks also goes to Drs. Beth Sullivan and Thomas Postlewait for their time and effort as members of my dissertation committee, and for their many comments, suggestions, and words o f encouragement. I am indebted to the staff at the National Library o f Ireland, Mary Clark at the Dublin Civic Archive, Marie Kelly at the Abbey Theatre, and Jim Bracken at The Ohio State University Library, all o f whom aided me with my research. I would also like to thank Mrs. G. A. Duncan and Colin Smythe for permitting me to use photos from their private collections in this dissertation. I extend my greatest appreciation to the numerous individuals who granted me interviews or responded to my inquiries, including: Tomas Mac Anna, Carolyn Swift, Ray Yates, Christopher Fitz-Simon, John Slemon, Jim McGlone, James Pethica, and Dr. Mary Trotter. I especially want to thank Lelia Doolan and Vincent Dowling for their tremendous willingness to answer my barrage o f questions. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Finally, I must express my gratitude for my family, my parents Richard Maresh and Joan Keller Maresh for their love and support, my brother Daniel Maresh for his smiles and hugs, and my fiancee Michael A. Silva for his love and encouragement. This research was supported in part by an Elizabeth D. Gee Dissertation Fund grant from The Ohio State University’s Department o f Women’s Studies. vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. VITA June 15, 1973................................... Bom - Boulder, Colorado 1995 ................................................ B.A. Theatre Arts, Music Minor, Viterbo College, La Crosse, Wisconsin 1997 ................................................. M.A. Theatre, Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois 1997-2001 ....................................... Graduate Teaching Assistant, The Ohio State University 2001-present................................... Guest Lecturer of Theatre, The Ohio State University and Otterbein College, Columbus, Ohio PUBLICATIONS 1. Karin Maresh, Rev. ofIreland's National Theaters: Political Performance and the Origins o f the Irish Dramatic Movement, by Mary Trotter, Theatre Journal 54.1 (March 2002). 2. Karin Maresh, “The Edinburgh Fringe Festival,” performance review,Theatre Journal 52.2 (May 2000): 278-280. 3. Karin Maresh, “Meet Your Representatives,” interviews,The Graduate Voice 5- 6.17 (Spring 1998): 6. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Theatre vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract............................................................................................................................. ii Dedication......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments..............................................................................................................v V ita.................................................................................................................................. vii List of Figures.................................................................................................................... x Chapters: 1. Introduction............................................................................................................ 1 2. Lady Gregory: Abbey Theatre Founder, Director, and Administrator...................22 3. Ria Mooney: The Abbey’s First Woman Producer................................................ 68 4. Lelia Doolan: The Abbey Theatre’s First Artistic Director.................................. 120 5. Garry Hynes: A Plough Astray Amongst the Abbey Stars..................................157 6. Conclusion...........................................................................................................